A City Screaming
by ohdisco
Summary: With a killer on the loose, Bella tries to cope with all that she's lost.
1. Prologue

_A/N: My creative processes always lead to horror, so I thought I should just let my creativity flow. That is how this was created. I have a few chapters already written, but I'm going to slowly integrate the other chapters._

_I'm dedicating this story to my gomey & beta, tellingmelies, who has been here from the beginning of all this fanfiction craze with me. Also a shout out goes to all the girls in the Wcs (you know who you are!) that helped me write these chapters._

_Obviously I don't own any of the characters, but I do own the city they live in because it doesn't exist._

_So without further ado, read!_

**PROLOGUE**

"I've just gotta drop off my little brother and I'll be there, ok?"

Leah was relieved that Lauren was coming to stay with her while her parents were out for the night. While she knew she was perfectly safe at her house, something felt off. She couldn't quite place it, but it made her uneasy.

"That's totally cool, I'll see you in a bit!" Leah happily spoke into the phone. She hung up, and an eerie silence permeated the room. The feeling of a presence in the room caused tension to run through her body, causing her to jump and look. Turning, She came face to face with her cat, a loud meow escaping her mouth.

"God Doty, you fucking scared me." She grabbed the cat and placed it in her lap, petting her slowly. Picking up the remote, she started flipping through the channels. _Bachelor, Dating in the Dark, Cheaters, HD version of The Bachelor, Big Brother 239480.4,_ she thought to herself, grimacing at the TV. Dissatisfied with her show choices, she decided to take a dip in the pool. Swimming was her life, it calmed her when nothing else could. Running to get her swimsuit, she quickly made it outside to her heated pool. Diving from the chilly Paradiso Heights night into the warm water was a shock much appreciated. Her muscles instantly relaxed, causing her brain to calm as well. She started slowly moving around in the pool, making small ripples on the surface. She quickly went under the water, swimming to the other side of the pool and popping her head out, looking out into the forest.

"_Leah…_"

The whisper caused her head to jerk back towards the house.

"_Leah…_"

She started moving towards the whisper, trying to place the voice.

"Hello? Is-Is anyone there?" Leah shouted into the black surrounding her.

"_Leah…_"

Climbing out of the pool, her pulse quickened as reality set in.

"Who's there? Lauren? Is that you?"

**UNKNOWN POV**

"You wish I was Lauren," I whispered in her ear while standing behind her. Before she could utter a scream, I covered her mouth with my palm as I slid the blade across the delicate skin of her neck. She dropped face down on the ground. She turned slowly, grabbing at me.

"W-w-why?" she managed to choke out.

"Oh I think you know why." I slowly knelt down beside her, dragging the blade against her skin before sinking it deep into her chest. A slight whimper of a last breath escaped her lips as she went still below me. Standing up, I kicked her body into the pool. The crunching of gravel under tires was followed by Lauren's slightly whiny voice calling out Leah's name. A smile crossed my face as I quickly made myself hidden.

"Leah? Where are ya?" Lauren called out. She made it to the back door, seeing Leah face down in the now pink water.

"Oh my god!" She shrieked as she attempted to run towards the body. I grabbed her, slamming her body against mine. I made her watch as the knife came at her, slicing into her skin. She let out a loud scream, causing me to laugh.

"Beautiful Lauren, nobody can hear you out here. Nobody but me." I slid the blade into her 3 more times before I pushed her off of me. I walked into the house, seeing a cat staring at me.

"Here kitty kitty." I picked up the cat and looked at her collar. _Doty,_ I thought, _that's a cute cat name._ I sat down on the couch with the cat, petting it, making it purr against me.

"I had to Doty. It's the only way. I know you'll understand." I put her back down on the couch. With one last look around I walked to my car.

_It has to be done. There is no other way. I will never get what I need if I do not finish this. If I don't kill every single last one of them, I will be without my life, my existence, my everything._


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I own nothing.**

**I dedicate this story to my beta and gomey Tellingmelies and our love for horror movies.**

**BPOV**

"…_Everyone barks and they are all still believing to tear out your heart would send all your secrets to me…"_

The discreet hum of the speakers was silent behind Jeff Magnum's voice. I stared at my face awhile that morning. My vanity never seemed as big as when I looked at my reflection, trying to find myself in its visions. As the seconds ticked by I counted them, much like a composer, trying to concentrate on anything but what I saw in the mirror. Therapy had been hard this week. While I knew she was only trying to help, my therapist could be too intrusive at moments, digging into memories she doesn't belong in.

"_Remember, when tragedy befalls you, seek comfort not isolation" _was always her motto for me. To her, comfort was being dragged through my memories over and over again, making me relive everything I wanted to forget. Sometimes it felt like she was making everything worse. I just wanted to move on with my life. I wanted to erase the haunting images embedded in my mind from that night. It had been 51 weeks and 2 days since I walked into my house to find both of my parents brutally murdered. I could still see the plush white carpet in their bedroom stained blood red from my mother's slit throat and their beautiful silk sheets colored the same from my father being repeatedly stabbed in the heart. I still remember the strange sounds that escaped my throat when I entered the room, sinking to my knees. It had never been that horrible with Seth, not even when we had found him blue with a pill bottle in his stiff hand. No, at that moment I was completely alone. I had nobody to console me in that second. When I finally found the strength to reach for the phone, I felt all feeling leave my heart.

Emotionless, I called the police. Alice reached the scene before they did, running up to me and cradling me in her small embrace. I have not shed a tear since the moment I found them. People seem to think that it's a problem. I think it's only a symptom of feeling nothing.

Before I realized it, I was in front of a cabinet in my kitchen, reaching for the Cocoa Krispies. Filling my bowl, the tiny crisped rice hitting the edges echoed in the room, the milk causing the kernels to pop as well. I sat down on a bar stool, hearing a soft pattering of feet coming close to me.

"Good morning sweetie," my aunt Kate called out to me. I slightly lifted my head from the bowl, nodding towards her. I swallowed my bite, suddenly full.

"I'll see you later Kate," I spoke quickly as I grabbed my backpack and made my way to my car. Though I had enough money to buy myself a Bugatti Veyron if I wanted, my Range Rover was all I needed. I didn't understand the need for death mobiles.

As I pulled into my familiar spot, I felt my heart race. My eyes scoped out the only person that could make me feel anything. I climbed out of the car, hearing keys violently smacking against jeans from a distance. With just that slight sound I knew it was him. He walked past me, giving me a wave and smile on the way towards the school. As usual, my brain subconsciously went through the rundown of the reasons why he was perfect and why he would never want me. His pirate smile filled with brilliant white teeth. The long, graceful steps his lean body took as he made his way to campus. His silky bronze hair in perfected disarray, slightly moving as the light breeze caressed it. His glowing green eyes hauntingly staring into my soul, making me feel more naked than any lack of dress could.

Realizing I was staring, I swiftly took my gaze off of him, staring at the familiar asphalt my eyes had become great friends with over the last year. Looking people in the eyes gave them too much power over me; anyone who looked at me could see how vulnerable I was. As I started walking towards campus, someone crashed into my right side.

"Oh Bella, hi! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to crash into you –," sure_ you didn't, _"--but I'm sure glad I did."

I rolled my eyes before I spoke. "Hello Jacob. How are you this morning?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm doing ok."

His eyes were as desperate as his attempt to woo me. It was sad and pathetic, but I didn't have the heart to stop him. Since the moment I stepped foot into this school he'd followed me around like a puppy dog, never getting the hint that I just didn't feel the same way about him. As he talked my ear off about homework or whatnot, I found my gaze traveling back to Edward's face. Though, in my daze, I didn't realize that he was looking at me as well. Our eyes connected for the briefest of seconds as my cheeks went ablaze and my eyes diverted from his.

"Bella? Bella? Are you listening to me?" Jacob's voice rang in my ear, snapping me out of my Edward-Haze.

"I'm sorry Jacob, what were you saying?" My eyes flitted back to where Edward had been standing, but he was gone.

"I was asking if you heard about-," before he was able to finish his thought, Alice slammed into my side, knocking me into him. His blush seemed to darken his face more than mine did, causing me to giggle slightly. It amazed me how much force she had, considering how small she was.

Alice was the best friend I always wish I had had. Life in Hollywood had been a lonely one; my childhood was spent with nannies and my big brother, who was obviously clean at the time. I remember crying in the middle of the night and Seth hearing me, causing him to climb out of his bed in the room next to mine and crawl into my own. He'd hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright, that mommy and daddy would be home soon. Even though I hadn't said a word, he had always known exactly why I was upset. Sometimes I think that was the reason he got into drugs in the first place. He'd felt the emptiness and the loneliness as I had, but he had nobody to run to. He had to take care of me, yet he had nobody to take care of him. My father had been a highly desired producer; everybody seemed to want to have him for their films. His job kept him away from home most of the time. My mother, on the other hand, had been a society lady. She was of old east coast money, and when she wasn't choreographing galas she was lunching with her friends, shopping Rodeo Drive, and going to lavishing spas. My mother had been a very beautiful woman, causing many men of all ages to fawn over her. She'd always been who I wanted to be when I grew up; a beautiful, elegant woman with everything her heart desired at her fingertips. Everything but my father. It seemed like everyone in my old household was lonely, missing someone or something. My parents never divorced, unlike most of my acquaintances' parents. My mom and dad were in love, they were just too busy for one another. Their fighting didn't start until Seth's meltdown.

Seth's downward spiral into the drug and partying scene caused both my mom and dad to lose themselves for a bit. While my mother had been the calmest person I'd ever known, she was high strung and easy to lose her temper during that time in our lives. My dad was gone more than usual; I assume he was going the famous "ignorance is bliss" route. My dad's avoidance of Seth's problems only made things worse for my mom. After 3 years of rehabs, distant relatives taking him away from home, and promises of change mom found him dead in his bedroom from an overdose of sleep medication mixed with 100 proof vodka. Somehow, for some reason, I knew that was the beginning of the end. Even though after the funeral my dad promised to retire from producing and my mom completely withdrew from all of her social events, I knew that this wasn't the end. Something worse was bound to happen.

When we moved to Paradiso Heights the summer before my 9th grade year, I felt frantic. I didn't know what scared me more: being treated badly for being the weird Hollywood girl, or being used because I'd be the rich girl. My mom and dad specifically chose this town due to the very secluded, calm atmosphere. They didn't want to lose another child to the scenes that were rotting inside the confines of Los Angeles county. Almost instantly, my greatest worries were becoming reality. The town was made almost entirely up of generations of families born in the quiet town. My mother, father, and I felt like needles in a world of balloons; people avoided us as if being near would pop their charmed existences. When school started, everyone steered clear of me, afraid of being tainted by the impure blood that LA had pumped through my veins. Convinced I would spend the next 4 years alone, on my lunch I quickly walked to the parking lot, only to bump into the tiniest 14 year old I'd ever seen.

"_Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't even see you coming."_

_I shrugged my shoulders, telling her it was alright. "You probably shouldn't be talking to me, your friends may disapprove." I shot a sneer towards the campus before turning my head back towards her._

_She cocked her head severely to the side, looking at me like I was crazy. She shook her head and held out her hand, "My name's Alice Brandon. You're the new girl aren't you?"_

"_Unfortunately so. Bella Swan."_

"_Bella Swan, I believe we're going to be great friends. I know you think people hate you here, but I just don't think people understand you. Heck, I moved here two years ago, and they still don't understand me." _

I had been bewildered by the extremely forward girl. She seemed to know what she was talking about though, and I was used to people having a lot of confidence, so I just went along with whatever she said. Doing so gave me the best friend I had today.

"Bella, did you hear about Leah and Lauren?" Her eyes were wild, staring at me with the weirdest expression.

"Uh, no..." She grabbed onto the tops of my shoulders and forced me to look straight into her eyes. I wasn't much taller than she was now, but it was still weird being thrust a few inches down.

"THEY...WERE...KILLED." Her grand pauses for effect were humorous, but when my brain comprehended what she said I could feel all the color leaving my face. There was no look of joking in her eyes; I also knew she'd never joke about something like that to me. My knees went weak, the ground getting closer and closer to my face. Alice sunk down with me, making sure I had a soft landing. While Leah, Lauren, and I hadn't been best friends like Alice and I, they were two of the few people in this place that were relatively nice to us. I looked at Alice, who had alligator tears streaming down her face, as if she waited to be in my presence to grieve.

"Bella, it's so horrible. They were found stabbed with their throats slit in Leah's back yard. I never thought I'd see another news crew in this town since...well, you know, but there were masses of them surrounding her house." I continued to stare at the cement as Alice continued with the details, wanting tears to come to my eyes but finding none. Alice's presence also made me forget all about Jacob, who was still standing in front of us. My eyes wandered to his face, shock apparent in his eyes. His hand was quivering, a true sign of Jacob being upset. I stood up, helping Alice up as well, and moved to give Jake a hug.

"Are you ok?" he huskily whispered in my ear. I nuzzled against his neck, shaking my head. While Jake could be horribly annoying with his worshiping, he was also a very good friend. He gave me a hug, petting my hair to calm me down. Suddenly, a loud bell blasted over the intercoms, signaling the start of the school day.

"Thanks Jake. I needed that." I gave him a small smile as I made my way to English. I pushed the door open and took my seat next to Edward just as the bell rang. Mr. Johnson put us in teams of two for reading _The Great Gatsby_, and left the rest of the period to working in our teams. Edward and I scooted our desks together as I started to read the first line when Angela and Jessica's voices broke through our concentration.

"I heard they had to drain the whole pool because they couldn't filter out the blood enough. Ironic that someone who basically slept in the water went into forever sleep in it." Angela cackled at Jessica's stupid comments.

"Leah had her throat slit, and Lauren had been stabbed to death. Remind you of a certain crime from last year?" Angela turned towards Jessica to wiggle her eyebrows, but I had the feeling she turned so I could see her as well.

"Whatever, the Swans' were just polluting our town with their Hollywood bullshit. They ruined this town the moment they moved here and built that monstrosity of a house on the lake. They got what they deserved, which was a place in the obituaries." Jessica's cruel words hit my heart in a place I hadn't felt since their death. Before I could comprehend what was happening, Edward had grabbed the hood of Jessica's jacket and pulled, causing the fabric to be snug around her throat.

"Shut your fucking mouth you nasty trout. Just because your mom is digging through people's trash for cans to recycle doesn't mean you have the right to talk shit about dead people. If I hear one more word from you about that, I swear to God, you'll be sorry. I'm not afraid to fuck you up, seeing as I'm not even sure you're a girl." He hastily let go of her hood, a slew of coughs leaving Jessica's mouth.

"Eddie, you're the one from Chino. I'm sure you know all about digging through the trash. You fucking found your way out of your mom, didn't you?" I saw the veins in Edward's neck bulge as he was about to lunge at her. I grabbed his arm, taking him quickly out of his state of fury.

"Hey, Edward, lets ask Mr. Johnson if we can go read outside. It's a beautiful day." I gave him a small smile as he slowly got out of his chair, running his finger over his throat at Jessica, causing her to chuckle and flip him off.

"Hey Mr. Johnson, can Edward and I go outside and read? It's just a beautif-" Before I could finish he slipped a "whatever" out of his mouth and pointed towards the door. I leaned a little bit over so I could see his screen on his computer. It looked like he was in an auction for something, so I shrugged as Edward and I made our way outside. Finding a bench under a tree, we both brought out our books, but his hand grabbed onto mine, making my eyes flinch up.

"Thanks, Bells. Those girls just fucking infuriate me." His eyes still held an ounce of the anger I'd seen in the classroom, but it was quickly slipping out of view. The beauty that usually existed in them appeared in front of me, making me lose all train of thought. He smiled at me, tapping my shoulder to bring me out of my haze.

"Ah, uh, yes. Well, it's still a tragedy about Leah and Lauren." My head hung a little just talking about it. His hand came back up to my shoulder and rubbed a bit. Though his touch was light, it caused my heart to race and instantly dragged my gaze to his hand.

"I'm so sorry about your loss Bella. It must be hard for you since it hasn't been very long since...well, you know." He winced a little at his words, knowing how the subject had been cruelly brought up only ten minutes ago. Deciding to change the subject somewhat, I decided to question who he thought could have done it.

"I don't know; it was probably just a crazy person passing through and her house was just in the wrong place. What do you think?"

I thought about it for a moment, trying to analyze the information I'd heard from Alice. There were no prints found anywhere, so the person who'd done it must have been at least somewhat intelligent. The cat wasn't hurt in the process, so it mustn't have been a completely unbalanced person. Not really having anything to go on, I just said the first thing that popped in my head.

"Crime of passion? A lot of the time people are killed by people they know."

He looked down for a minute before bringing his brilliant emerald eyes back to mine. "Do you think your parents knew who killed them?"

I looked away, taken aback by the question. I tried to think about it, but it felt as if I couldn't even do that.

"To be honest Edward, it's hard for me to talk about it. I just, can't."

He shook his head and touched my hand, "It's ok, sorry for bringing it up." His skin on my skin caused electricity to shoot throughout my body, traveling through my veins at light speed. It felt as though he knew it, since the moment his skin touched mine he withdrew his hand quickly, as though he'd been zapped. He gave an awkward cough as he handed me back my book. As we started to read, I started to think about who could've killed Leah and Lauren. They didn't really have any enemies that I knew of. They were pretty well liked at the school, usually very nice to everyone. Maybe Edward was right, maybe it was just a crazy person passing through, and unfortunately for Leah and Lauren, they were in his path.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for this being so late! Thank you once again to my beta tellingmelies for making me sound intelligent.**

**Thank you to the readers who've been reading!**

**Now...on with the show!**

**BPOV**

"_...The yearning song of flesh on flesh, young hearts burst open, wounds bleed fresh ..._"

"I've told you a million times, I am not sitting in the middle! I don't care what you say, I need an aisle seat. I'm not going to be able to be cramped like that for god knows how long!" My aunt's voice hit the pitch of a dog whistle in her rant, shocking me awake. Rubbing my eyes, I moved to get out of my bed, throwing the comforter away. I quickly made my way to my aunt's room, seeing her on the phone with presumably her boyfriend Garrett.

"Look, I'll see you when you pick me up and we can talk about it then. I love you too. See you in a little while." She hung up the phone and turned to me. A small smile played on her face as she came to give me a hug. "Sorry sweetie, did I wake you up?"

I nodded, but gave a small smile back, "Yeah, but I needed to get up anyway. So, when is Garrett coming to pick you up?"

"In an hour or so. Are you sure you're going to be ok? Those girls were murdered just two nights ago not far from here." Her face twisted into a grimace, likely due to worrying too much.

"Kate, I'm going to be fine. I'll talk to Alice and see if she can stay with me for a couple of the nights, ok?" I grabbed her hands, looking her in the eyes. The grimace didn't leave, but it relaxed a bit.

"All right, I guess. I just don't want anything to happen to you. I don't know what I would do." She brought me in for another hug, squeezing extra tight.

"Don't worry Kate, I promise I'll be fine. I have to go though, so I guess I'll see you in two weeks?" I gave her the biggest smile I could fake, trying to bring her spirits up. It worked; her face lit up like a light bulb.

"Yep! Now, all the information is on the fridge. Belize may be far away, but you know if you need me to come back, I'll be here as fast as I can."

"I know, I know." A little smile cracked on my face as she brought me in for a final hug. "I'm going to miss you."

Her eyes glistened a tad when she pulled back, "I'm going to miss you too kiddo. Now go to school! Learn lots!" I laughed at her and rolled my eyes as I made my way towards my backpack and the front door.

It seemed like Alice had been waiting for me a while when I made it onto campus. Her seams were close to busting with excitement as she ran up and grabbed my arm.

"Is she gone?"

I gave her an incredulous look, "Is who gone?"

"Kate you dumb-dumb! Is she gone yet?"

"Uh, she's leaving in an hour or so, why?"

Alice squealed slightly, doing tiny victory dance. "So, Izz, I was thinking that we could have a little party at your house while she's gone. Nothing too extravagant, and only with our closest friends." I rolled my eyes and gave her a stern look. Knowing Alice like I did, I knew it would be overtly extravagant and filled with a whole bunch of people I didn't even know, let alone close friends with. Though, knowing me like she did, she knew I could never say no to a happy Alice face.

"Fine, but I seriously don't want anything like the last party we threw at your parents house."

She gave me an innocent look before gasping, "What ever you do mean, my wonderful best friend? That party was awesome!"

"That party was awesome until the football team decided to have a game in your formal dining room and Tyler slammed into your mom's curio cabinet full of Hummel figurines her mother bought in Germany. I remember Edward going in there and they tried to convince him they needed their quarterback for the next half. Thank god Edward told them there was a naked cat fight going on outside."

Alice shook her head, remembering it quite well, "I could handle my mom screaming at me for weeks, but they didn't even apologize." Her excitement dropped a little in her eyes at the thought of how rude they had been.

"You see, Alice? People here, they just don't understand us. That's why I don't want it to be a huge blowout, ok? Invite some people, but make sure YOU invite them, not somebody else." She nodded her head and scampered off, no doubt telling the whole school of a get together at my house on Saturday night after the football game. Of course, that meant that I couldn't go to the game and watch Edward, who looked absolutely amazing in his uniform. While daydreaming about his ass in those tight pants, I slammed into someone, knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh Bells, sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going." Coughing, I tried to blow it off like it was nothing, becoming entranced by his smile. He cleared his throat, taking me out of my staring.

"Sorry Edward, I wasn't watching where I was going either." He smiled at me and I returned one back at him. We stood there in silence, my foot slightly kicking the pebbles on the floor, trying to think of something to clear the awkwardness.

Finally, he broke the silence. "So, I hear you're having a party on Friday after the game."

I crinkled my nose in irritation, "She told you already, did she? She seriously just left."

"Oh, no, she invited me earlier this morning." My fists clenched a little in slight annoyance at Alice. Why does she do this every time? Before I could complain in an inner monologue anymore, I saw a slightly hurt expression cross Edward's face.

"What's wrong?"

A grimace came to his face, "Ya know, if you don't want me there that's ok."

I shook my head in disbelief. _Where would he get that idea?_

"I dunno, you just had an agitated look on your face when I said I was coming." _Did I say that out loud?_

"Oh, no! Of course I want you there Edward! I'm just irritated at Alice. She seems to love to invite people to parties I haven't even said yes to."

A smile spread across his face, "Good, 'cause I was going to come anyway and crash your party if you didn't want me there." He winked at me, causing my knees to weaken. "It's nicer to be actually wanted there by you though."

"Uh, yeah," a high pitched nervous chuckle escaped my lips frantically, "it wouldn't be a party without you." A deep heat crossed my face, no doubt coloring my cheeks a bright red. He lightly laughed at the sight, shaking his head slightly. "Well, I gotta get to History, so, I'll see you?" He laughed again and nodded. During my somewhat long trek to History, I hoped and prayed that Edward was an example of people Alice was inviting. The moment I made it to my class I knew my hoping and praying were in vain.

"Bella-ella, I heard about the party on Friday. SWEET!" Tyler shouted as I passed through the door frame.

"I'm glad you're excited Ty, but if you break any of my shit, I will seriously break your face, got it?" He laughed and slightly punched my shoulder. His slight punch landed me on the floor, rubbing my arm. "Tyler! You need to remember your strength." He laughed sheepishly, slipping out a 'sorry' before turning back to the board.

During second period Principal Greene came into the room, a grim look on his face. "Students, I'm sure you've all heard about the horrific news that has shocked our little town in the last two days, and to try and help law enforcement with finding the killer, we're having mandatory questioning of the students at school. I know it may be hard for some of you who were close to Leah and Lauren, but we believe it'll help find the killer sooner, and may prevent it from happening again."

A slew of questions left the students' mouths "Do you think it'll happen again?", "Do you think it was a student?". "Can I have my attorney present?" Alice shouted.

Principal Greene raised his hands to silence the class. "Now listen, it seems that the police don't have any leads at the moment. They say it's quite similar to the tragedy that happened a year ago, with the murders of Charlie and Renee Swan. We don't _know_ if it will happen again, nor do we _know_ if a student is the culprit. All I know is law enforcement doesn't have any clues, and we're starting with their peers. Sorry Mr. Mason for interrupting. Go back to work." Trig was the last thing on anyone's mind though. The moment the principal left the room everyone's voice started shouting in unison, one over the other. Only Alice and I sat somewhat quietly, murmuring to one another about the whole thing.

"Edward seems to think it was just a crazy person passing through."

She shook her head, "I don't think so. The injuries found on them are almost exactly like the injuries found on...well, you know. My mom thinks it may be a copy cat killer."

"Or maybe it's the same person." a deep voice behind us bellowed.

"Why would you think that Paul?" Alice cocked her head to the side like she usually did when she was confused, making me grin lightly.

"Well, it just seems too similar. Usually, with copy cat killers, there's something slightly different about the way the bodies are handled. The police say it seems to have even been the same knife that killed both parties."

Alice gave him an quizzical look, "That's impossible, how would they be able to tell if it was the same knife?!"

"Well, they don't know if it was the same _exact_ knife, but it's the same type of knife used in both murders."

Slowly, it seemed as though everybody's voices became a distant echo. It sounded as though I was in a wind tunnel, unconsciously removing myself from the reminders of what had happened. When I finally came to Alice was shaking me fervently. "Bella? Bella?! Are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry. What were you saying?" I rubbed my eyes, feeling as though I had fallen asleep.

"Oh nothing, just Paul being stupid. I'm sorry, you know I don't mean to talk about them." Her face shone with her sincere apology. I pulled her into a hug, telling her it was alright. The bell rang above us, Alice giving a smile, "Come on, let's go get lunch."

When Alice and I made it to our table Edward and his sister, Rosalie, were already there. "Rose, I will NOT talk to Royce for you."

"Eddie! Come on! You're with him, like, _every day_. I only get to see him in my Spanish class, and he barely even knows I exist!" Rosalie was frantically pleading with Edward, making me chuckle slightly. Edward and Rosalie were very close for being siblings, but sometimes she could be a handful, especially when it came to what Edward's teammates on the football team wanted to do with her, or what she wanted to do with them.

"Why would you want to be with someone who doesn't even know you exist? You could do a LOT better than him, trust me." Edward ran his hands through his hair, something he did often when Rose complained and whined.

"He's just so hot, I just want to-" Edward put his hand up to Rose's face, stopping her from continuing. He looked up to see Alice and I amused by his conversation.

"Oh, hey guys!" Edward cleared us a space for us to sit. I looked at Rose who seemed to be completely distraught by her brother's denial of help. She gave me a sad smile, turning back to her tuna sandwich.

"Hey Rosie, have you tried to just talk to him? He'd be stupid not to realize what a catch you are. If he's not interested in just talking to you, he's obviously not worth your time or energy."

She shrugged and put her head back on her arms. "I don't know Bells. He's a senior, and I'm just a stupid sophomore. Why would he want to talk to me?"

I put my hand on top of one of her hands, bringing her eyes to mine. "Rosie, you're beautiful, funny, smart, and just all around amazing. Why _wouldn't_ he want to talk to you is a better question." She smiled a genuine smile that time, mouthing 'thanks' at me. I mouthed back 'no problem' and smiled as well. Edward coughed, catching my attention. He gave me a slightly disapproving look, causing me to shrug.

Trying to change the subject, I looked directly at Alice. "Anyway, Alice, do you think you could spend the night a couple of nights while my aunt is gone?"

Alice nodded excitingly, "Of course! Oh, but I can't tonight. Is that ok?"

"Of course! I'm only doing it for Kate's nerves. She thinks something bad is going to happen to me."

Rosalie's head popped up, looking at me sternly, "Bells, two girls just _died_ in your neighborhood, of _course_ she's going to be a little concerned. I just hope they find the fucker soon."

Edward stood up suddenly, "Hey, I gotta go. I've gotta talk to my chemistry teacher." He quickly made his way out of the cafeteria, us watching him in confusion.

Rosalie snorted and laughed, breaking the focus, "Fucking weirdo. Anyway, so I hear you're having a party Bella." I slowly turned my gaze to Alice, giving me her innocence look.

"Alice, how many people have you invited to this party?"

"Oh, Alice didn't invite me. Quil did!" Rosalie pipped in. If smoke coming out of my nostrils and breathing fire were possible, that's exactly what I would be doing at this point.

"Alice! What did I tell you?! Only invite _close_ friends!"

"I did only invite close friends! It's not my fault that they decided to invite people of their own." She gave me a 'matter of fact' look, which only fueled my anger.

"That's why you tell people not to invite other people Al!"

"Does this mean I'm not invited?" Rosalie gave me her big puppy dog eyes, as if I wasn't going to invite her if she didn't.

"No, of course you're invited. I just don't know why Quil was invited. He's T-ped your house multiple times Alice! Mine too!"

Alice's face dropped. "He egged my car too."

"Allie, why do you invite these people?" I questioned her, "Is it popularity? Do you want to be more popular?"

Alice looked at if I had slapped her in the face. "Of _course_ not! Why would I want to be popular? I happen to like my group of friends. No, I just, I dunno...feel bad." I gave her an incredulous look, wondering why she would feel bad. As if she could read my thoughts, she explained that she just didn't want people to feel left out like she'd always felt left out. A logic that she knew would work on me; I hated when people were picked on and ostracized. I remember feeling that horrible ache in my stomach when people would move their shit onto chairs next to them so you couldn't sit there, isolating you to the back corner. I looked at her and gave up, I was never going to win this fight.

"Fine, invite who you want, but _you're_ cleaning up after them." Alice laughed and gave me a hug. I wasn't happy about it, but I'd deal.

Later that evening, my stomach started growling fiercely. I rummaged through my freezer, finding a box of pepperoni hot pockets. I threw two in for 3 minutes, sitting down at the island to wait for them to cook. Staring at the counter top, I heard a strange sound coming from outside. Instinctively, the hair on the back of my neck went up and my muscles went rigid. I'd seen enough horror movies to know that shouting, "Who's there?" and "What do you want?" were the best ways to get you killed, and going to investigate a strange noise always left your insides on the out. I walked over to the knife block and grabbed the butcher's knife just in case and went back to my seat, trying to ignore the sounds. The silence was eerie, slightly making my stomach turn. Suddenly, the microwave chimed, making me scream. Feeling stupid, I shook my head and grabbed my dinner and walked to my room. I glanced at the clock, amazed that it was close to 10PM. As soon as I started eating, I heard the strange noise outside again, but it seemed to come from near the living room. Smart enough to take the butcher's knife with me, I grabbed it and sauntered into the living room. I looked around slowly, keeping my back to the front door. I tried to be as quiet as I could, to see if I could hear the noise again.

30 seconds of silence later, the doorbell rang.


	4. Chapter 3

"_...If I could find your heart I would pull it from your chest and smash you with my fist 'til it was beating..."  
_

"You need to dump that fucking loser Angie, he's not good for you," Jessica shouted at her phone while brushing her hair. She looked confidently in the mirror, knowing she was gorgeous. Her silk blonde hair delicately touched her flawless porcelain skin as she counted the strokes of the brush, '_504, 505, 506, 507'_ she chanted to herself.

"I know Jessie, I just love him." Angela's whined, causing Jessica to grimace. "He's not really that much of a jerk to me."

Jessica laughed harshly, "Please, he took your car and hit a fire hydrant while his buddies were smashing mailboxes, he used your credit card without permission to buy _another girl_ dinner, AND he told the entire football team you did anal on the first date!"

"But I did an..."

"It doesn't matter!" Jessica cut Angela off exasperatedly, "It doesn't mean he had to tell all of his friends."

"Maybe he's just proud to be my boyfriend, and he wants to tell the world."

Jessica shook her head. "Whatever, Mike is coming over and I gotta get ready. My parents are gone for the next two days and you know what that means." She wiggled her eyebrows although Angela couldn't see them.

"Tell Mike I said hi!" Angela shouted into the receiver. Jessica quickly said bye and hung up the phone. Changing into her favorite negligee, she started lighting the assorted candles spread all over her room. While her friend was the school slut, Jessica was the bitch who nobody got to fuck. Mike, the school's star wide receiver, was the only one who had been able to crack her treacherous shell. She checked her watch, and saw it was only 9:15PM. She started towards her computer, but heard her doorbell ring. _That's weird, he's not supposed to be here until 9:45,_ she thought as she made her way downstairs.

"Hey sexy," she said seductively as she opened the door, "are you ready or what?" She looked up to see a hooded figure at her door. "Um, what the fuck are you doing here?" Her eyes went wide when they took a knife out of their jacket, causing a fearful chill to ripple down her spine.

**UNKNOWN POV**

As Jessica bled out in her grand foyer, a swift knock rattled on the door.

"Hey Jessie, it's Mike. Let me in!"

_Gladly._

**BPOV**

My body quaked as fear ran through my bones. While standing there, back against the front door, I thought of my options. I could run for the quickest door with a lock, but I was clumsy in nature. It would be incredibly me to trip over my own feet and go crashing to the ground, only to be mutilated by the presumed monster waiting courteously on my front porch. My second option would be to call out, "Who's there?", but once again, I knew that meant imminent death. So, I went for option three: looking through the peephole to see who was there. Terror was pumping through my veins as I made that turn towards the door. Breathing heavily, I slowly brought my face to the tiny glassed hole, positive I was going to find a werewolf, or a vampire, or Ian Somerholder, or something equally as frightening. I opened my eyes to see a bright green eye staring back at me. I screamed louder than I thought possible and ran towards the couch, and proceeded to jump over it and hide.

"Bella?"

_Wait a minute..._

"Bella, it's Edward. Are you ok? I just heard a crash."

I got up from the couch and opened the door, my heart racing a million miles a minute. "What the fuck Edward! You fucking scared me!"

He laughed lightly, "Sorry. Was that _you_ screaming?"

"Well, yeah. You scared me!" His loud laugh echoed through the large, empty house. Looking at the clock and realizing it was a couple minutes after ten and a school night, I looked at him curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I knew you'd be freaking out in this big mansion all by yourself, and I thought I'd keep you company since Alice couldn't." He looked down at me with a smile, causing me to lose my breath. He looked at me with concern, "Are you sure you're ok?"

I shook my head, trying to clear the cloud of haze his smile cast on me, "Uh, yeah, I'm good. That's, uh, very thoughtful of you." I smiled timidly, suddenly nervous that Edward was at my house. At night. Alone with me. "Did you, uh, wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

I blushed heavily when I realized what I was going to watch. "Um, well, I _was_ going to watch She's the Man..."

He laughed, but nodded his head, "Alright." I looked up at him with confusion. "What? Amanda Bynes is hot." I laughed as I led him into my room. As I got the movie ready, he started to walk towards my shelves. The nervousness intensified as he looked around. I felt myself wanting to give reasons for every weird knick knack, but couldn't find the ability to speak. Finally, I got the movie playing, and looked back over to see Edward getting comfy on my bed.

He smiled at me and motioned me over with his hand, "Come on, let's watch this movie." I cautiously walked to my bed, wondering if this was actually real. I climbed across the opposite side of the bed, nearing towards him. Sitting down a good foot away from him, he moved over closer to me, resting back on my pillows. "Lean back Bella, you look uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," I quickly responded, practically shouting in his ear. "I'm very, very comfortable like this."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

As the movie progressed, I felt myself becoming more relaxed with him, and slowly leaned back towards the pillows. The last thing I remember was laughing with him about Channing Tatum having to change his feet.

The next morning I woke up slightly stiff. I smelled something off as I opened my eyes; something weirdly masculine. I turned towards my door only to see Edward's face a mere inches from mine, peacefully sleeping. After the shock subsided, I stared at his beauty. Though he wasn't perfect, nobody was, he looked like an angel when he slept. His long, dark eyelashes touched his high cheekbones which were always slightly pink. His hair in disarray, more than normal, all around his face. His hands tucked adorably under his head, like a sculpture of a cherub. Of course, nothing beautiful lasts.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you it's not nice to stare?" Edward's pouty lips pulled up into a smile as his eyes opened. Horrified, I started to run towards my bathroom, the closest place to hide, when Edward caught me around the middle and pulled me close. With our faces so close, I could almost taste his mouth on mine. His eyes, shining with want, looked down to my lips, licking his own lower lip. As he came closer to fill the space, I whispered slightly.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

He backed away abruptly. "Excuse me?" The emotion in his eyes quickly started to fade as his expression changed to annoyance. "Did you just ask if I wanted some breakfast?"

Suddenly extremely embarrassed, I managed to stutter through. "Y-y-yeah. I j-j-just wanted to k-know if you were-were-were hungry." He sighed and rubbed his face.

"Yeah, Bells. I _am_ hungry." At that he released me and walked out of my room. Why did I do that? Why didn't I let him kiss me? He sure as hell looked like he was going to kiss me. What is _WRONG_ with me? He peeked back into my room, staring at me, "Bella? You coming?"

"Yeah, lemme just change." I put on some fresh clothes, brushed my hair and teeth, and made my way out to the kitchen. _How did he know where my kitchen was?_

"I didn't, I kinda just looked around for it." _Shit, I gotta stop saying inner monologues out loud._

"Um, what do you want for breakfast?"

He shook his head slightly, "Actually, I'm not that hungry. Can I give you a ride to school?" I nodded as we both went for the front door. As I went to grasp the handle, his hand shot to the same place mine was. The electricity that flowed through our hands was intense, causing both of us to jump slightly and look at the other. As we made our way to his car, his hand slowly brushed against mine, creating goosebumps all over my body. He smiled down at me as we reached the passenger door.

"Here you go," he said as he opened the door for me. Blushing slightly, I got inside and sniffed the air in his car; it smelled like a condensed version of him. He quickly made his way to the driver's seat, cranking the heat when he finally started the car. "It's really cold this morning."

I looked at him, dazed slightly. "Yes, yes it is."

The silence in the car during the 20 minute drive to school wasn't extremely awkward; the only tension filling the air was over us almost kissing. Now that I had time to think, I started to dwell on why my brain had decided to be stupid in that exact moment. I knew I liked Edward a lot, and I was pretty sure now that he liked me too. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I let myself have this, just to bring some sort of feeling back into my life? Sadness started to eat away at my heart, causing my eyes to tear up. Edward looked over at me, his face filled with concern.

"Bells, are you crying? Why are you crying?" He slowed down to pull over to the side of the road to turn off the car and face me.

"I'm just...thinking. It's embarrassing, I don't really wanna talk about it." I tried to turn my head towards my window, but Edward put his hand on my chin and gently forced me to look at him.

"Bella, I know you're blaming what happened back their completely on yourself, but you need to know that I understand. I shouldn't have done that; it was wrong of me to just sneak up on you with my feelings like that. I mean, I really like you, but I don't want to rush you into something you're not ready for."

"But I am! I like you so much Edward, I just don't understand why I did that. It was a one time thing, I swear," I sobbed out, my words severely slurred. He smiled slightly and cupped my cheek in his large, warm hand.

"Lets just, forget about it for now ok? I'm sorry I took advantage of the situation; it won't happen again." He then went silent, his eyes diverted back to the road.

I hated breakfast.

Edward and I finally made it to school, only to find it looking more like a mad house. With wide eyes, we took in the scene, scanning over cameras from new stations set up on every inch of grass outside the science wing. I looked at Edward, as if he knew what had happened, and he just shrugged. We parked the car and cautiously got out, quickly making our way to campus.

"Paradiso Heights, a small, friendly town of only a couple thousand, nestled in the Sierra Mountains seemed like the perfect place to raise a family. In the past year though, the once crime free town has become a magnet for murder. Almost a year ago today, Charlie Swan, a prestigious film producer, and Renee Swan, an east coast socialite, were brutally murdered in their own home. It seems like someone has figured out a deathly way of celebrating the anniversary of their deaths. The past three days have been filled with grief as friends and loved ones mourn the deaths of four teens: Leah Clearwater, Lauren Malloy, Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton. The police seem to be clueless as to who could be the culprit of these devastating events, but the question remains: Will he strike again? More of this tragic story on Channel 6 News at Noon."

My body felt light as a feather as I crumpled to the ground, the world becoming hazily dark.

"Oh my god, someone call an ambulance! Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" I heard a distance voice calling out my name. The voice seemed familiar, but too far to reach.

"Here, lemme try this." I knew that voice; it was Alice. The moment I recognized the voice though a hard slap whipped across my face, leaving my cheek stinging horribly. My once murky vision suddenly cleared, causing me to sit up straight.

"What the fuck!" I basically screamed, Edward cowering from the volume. "Oh, sorry," I said with a sheepish smile.

"It's alright, are you ok? You blacked out on me." His voice was laced with concern, my head resting on his thigh.

"Let me through!" I heard a husky voice shout. Knowing it was Jacob, I looked around to see him clearing his way through a thick crowd on gawkers staring at me. He rushed to my side once he was past the onlookers, and knelt down to my level. His eyes met Edward's and narrowed, his obvious hatred of Edward plastered all over his face. Jealousy could do horrible things to people, even to best friends.

Jacob Black and Edward had been best friends since Edward had been dropped off at his dad's door when he was 5. Edward's Mom, Elizabeth, and Carlisle had had a one night stand, causing Elizabeth to become pregnant. She moved to Chino, where Edward spent most of his early childhood, but when his mom grew tired of looking after him, she left him on Carlisle's door step with a note. "_It's your problem now. Don't bother finding me."_

From the moment they met they were inseparable, or so I heard. Even though Edward was picked on relentlessly, Jacob always had his back, defending him until the end. That is, until I showed up. Edward had talked to me about their friendship in passing, probably because it was still painful. Realizing they were all still staring at me, I went to stand up, only to have Edward and Jacob try to keep me on the ground. The bell rang, causing my audience to quickly disperse and file away to class.

"You guys, I have to go to class."

They both shouted, "I'll walk you!" at the same time, slightly glaring at one another.

"I don't need help walking, I'm fine." I pushed them aside and got up, only feeling slightly dizzy when I was standing. I started to march off to English, Edward on my heels.

"Hey, wait up!" I didn't bother to slow down, seeing as we were nearing our destination. I slammed my body down in my seat and looked away from where Edward was seated. "Bells, what did I do?"

"Why are you getting all caveman over me with Jacob? Even though I know you guys are sworn enemies now for some reason, you both are my friends, and you guys are just going to have to deal with one another."

He scoffed and looked away while muttering, "Friends. Right."

We didn't speak a word to one another the whole period, and when the bell rang he quickly got out of his seat and rushed out the door. Though my heart hurt slightly, I was still mad at him for being such a...man. Alice caught up to me as I walked to chemistry.

"Bella? Did you hear the whole story of what happened last night?" I nodded and kept walking, knowing she'd just keep rattling off the details of the story if I stayed quiet. She got to the end of it when we reached our stools in the lab area, and her voice dropped lower, as if she was telling a secret. "Are, you ok? Jessica's house is really close to yours. Did anything, weird happen last night?" Not wanting to alarm Alice, I didn't tell her about the weird noises I was hearing outside my house while I was cooking. Instead I went into how Edward came over and we almost kissed.

"Are you serious! I KNEW IT!" She gave me a big smile as she hugged my shoulders, but I couldn't force a smile to my face. "What's wrong Izz?"

"Well, I kinda rejected him."

Her eyes looked as if they were going to fall out of her head, "WHAT?! What do you _mean_ you kinda rejected him?"

"Well, he was going in for the kill, and I might have asked him if he wanted some breakfast." Alice looked at me silently, secretly contemplating whether to laugh or to be sad for me. Always wanting Alice to be happy, I forced myself to give a short, somewhat genuine sounding laugh. Alice's tinkling laughter echoed in the large science lab, causing everybody to look at us.

"Dude, the weirdest things happen to you. It's ok though, you'll be able to make up for it on Friday night." She wiggled her eyebrows at me, biting her bottom lip. Her weird facial expression caused me to bust out laughing, the class rolling their eyes in response.

"Are you coming over tonight Allie?" She smiled brightly and nodded, making me relieved. Even though it was probably just an animal or something, last night had really freaked me out. Thinking to last night, I remember something Alice said.

"_Are, you ok? Jessica's house is really close to yours. Did anything, weird happen last night?"_ Edward showing up was _very_ weird, but for some reason 10:00 kept shouting in my head, like the time he arrived was some crucial part to a puzzle. Then it came to me.

"Alice, when were Jessica and Mike killed?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

"Just, you know, wondering."

She brushed her hands through her long, dark hair. "Well, the cops are saying somewhere between 9:15 and 10PM last night."

I gulped.

_Oh shit._


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am deeply sorry for how long this took to be put up. My mom passed away on the 15th of April and I seriously haven't been in my state for almost a month, so I haven't been able to completely go through my chapter with my beta, and I've just been dealing with a lot. Now that I have the ball rolling again and my beta and I live in the same house I will be getting chapters out much quicker.**

**Thank you to anybody who's stuck though the long wait, and I will try not to disappoint you!**

**I don't own anything besides the horribly bitchy version of Angela.**

**Lets see if you can find all of the Scream references, tellingmelies sure did!**

**And...on with the show!**

**BPOV**

"_...to the outside, the dead leaves, they all blow 'fore they died; had trees to hang their hope..."_

I kept my thoughts to myself for the time being. I mean, just because Edward had shown up at my house _right_ after the murders had happened only a few miles away, hated both Jessica and Mike, and had threatened her life yesterday didn't mean that he automatically was the killer. I winced as I realized all the evidence was pointing towards Edward. Could Edward really kill someone? It was obvious the same person who killed Mike and Jessica had also killed Leah and Lauren. Why would he kill the two of them? I couldn't imagine Edward hurting anybody. However, Jessica and Mike had ridiculed Edward since he showed up in Paradiso Heights, so the motive was there. Though, as Randy put it best, "It's the millennium; motives are incidental." If he was a crazed lunatic, he wouldn't really need a motive. My thoughts had completely cut off my peripheral senses, causing me to jump when Alice touched my shoulders.

"Are you sure you're ok? You've been in and out for the last couple of days, and I know a lot has happened."

I shook my head and smiled. "I'm good."

Lunch and 3rd period passed by in a blur, my mind still going over what I had realized earlier. While my head was telling me to stay away from Edward for more reasons than one, my heart just wanted to be closer to him. He was the only person that made me feel whole when I was around them. I loved Alice, but the slight aching in my chest was always throbbing, always eating at the edges of my sanity. Whenever Edward got close, all logic left my body, and with it my ache. My head, however, was telling me to steer clear of him. Not only did all the evidence that I know of point to Edward, but he was getting too close. Even before my family's downfall I was a very private person. Most people never broke past my walls, even if I considered them a close friend. The only person who was able to obliterate them was Alice. Her innocence and pure sincerity shot straight to my soul, which was used to horrid people looking for the next person to persecute. Even though Alice had broke through my walls, there were still mysteries inside my heart that only someone like Edward could find out. I didn't know if I was ready to share them, so my head told me to flee.

While walking to the parking lot, I realized that I hadn't driven myself to school.

"You ready?" A voice behind me called. I turned around to see Edward, and all my doubts and fears were soothed for the time being. I nodded and followed him to the car, casually talking about our day.

"Are you still mad at me?" I had totally forgotten that I was supposed to be mad at him for being a big brute, but I let it slide this time.

"Nah, I guess not." I bumped into his side, breathing in his woodsy, masculine scent. He put his arm around me the rest of the way to the car, causing my breath to quicken and my heart to race. He chuckled and leaned in close to my ear.

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Extremely," I answered honestly. His smile at my admission stopped my breathing all together. He laughed at me again when we reached the car.

"Come on silly, I gotta get back to football practice, so I gotta get you home."

"_You've got a body like the devil and you smell like sex!"_ shouted from the surround sound and Alice and my lips as we made our homemade cookie dough. It was a sleep over tradition to bake homemade cookies whenever Alice came over. Usually we stayed with tried and true chocolate chip, but tonight we were in the mood to decorate so we went with sugar cookie. Dancing along to _So Hott_ by Kid Rock, we dropped the bowl of batter and made makeshift microphones out of our spoons to sing along. Suddenly, the music stopped. We looked at each other, confused.

"That's weird. I'll be back." I walked into the living room to push play on the Ipod to find that it wasn't in the dock anymore. The same feeling I got last night crept back into my body, only more intense. I felt like I could hear each beat my heart made and the breath enter my lungs as I remained frozen in the middle of the room. A loud shrill noise bounced off the walls, the phone lighting up green. Alice shouted, 'I'll get it!' and a cutesy, 'Hello! Swan residence!' came from the kitchen.

"Hello?" Alice repeated. "Bella, can you come here?" Suddenly the paralysis on my body shook off, causing me to run into the kitchen so I wouldn't be alone.

"What's wrong?" Her eyes were wide and her face was whiter than normal. Her hands shook as she handed the receiver to me.

"Listen." I put the phone to my ear and listened. The person on the other line blew a heavy breath onto the line.

"Who the fuck is this?" I shouted into the telephone, but only received another heavy breath in return. "Tyler, is this you? You better not be fucking fooling around or I swear to god..." As I tried to finish my sentence, the whole room went pitch black. The phone slipped out of my hand, Alice and my shrieks of terror filled the room, combining to make a horrific melody. I reached down to the floor and hung up the phone, not wanting to listen to the breathing for one more second. Alice's hysterical screaming was not helping. I put my hand over her mouth to silence her. A whispered, 'shh' left my lips, quieting her immediately. Suddenly, as the sound of metal scraping across the side of the house tore through the silence, I couldn't contain my voice anymore. Alice and I screamed as we ran into the living room, hiding behind the cushions. We sat there for a few minutes, the noise gone.

"Should I look?" I whispered to Alice. She violently shook her head no, but for some reason, I needed to see. I stood up from where I was hiding and made my way to the large windows to my left. As I started to peer out the window, a hooded figure stepped into my view, alarmingly close. A scream left my lips as he slipped his knife from his coat, slamming his body against the glass. Alice immediately shot up as she heard me running for my room. The loud sound of glass shattering echoed through the house as we slammed my bedroom door, locking it behind us. Both of us curled up on my bed, anticipating what was going to happen next. The house went still for a few moments before something heavy started slamming against my door. Remembering my computer had a deaf dialer on it, I rushed over to the keyboard and dialed 911. Almost exactly after I finished telling her what was going on, the slamming stopped. The room was silent as I backed away from the computer, hoping the nightmare was over. Not taking any chances, I grabbed onto Alice and pointed under my bed. We both slid under there and waited for the sirens.

News crews swarmed around us when we reached school the next morning, wanting the exclusive story of Alice and my night of terror with the serial killer that had rocked our tiny little mountain town. It was the first time I'd known Alice to pass up a chance at telling a story. Her eyes were dull, closer to indigo than their usual brilliant violet color. We sluggishly made our way towards our classes, whispers surrounding us in the narrow halls. I walked her to class before I went to mine, knowing she was extremely shaken up over the whole matter. On my way to class, I glanced up only to be caught in Edward's piercing stare. I looked down quickly, picking up my pace towards class.

I have no idea what I was supposed to be learning that day. My mind was overwhelmed with so many different thoughts I could barely concentrate on eating at lunch. "What if" was the lead beginning in every question I had. What if I had been alone? What if I hadn't have had my cell phone in my room? What if I hadn't walked up to the window? What if I had been stupid, going outside to investigate the horrible metallic noise running down the side of my house?

What if it had been Edward?

The thought that the man who had tried to kill Alice and I was Edward sent a shiver down my back. Coincidences were the only reason my finger was even slightly pointed in his direction. _Him coming from a broken home, being the cause of most of the trouble in this town, and showing up at my house right after two people were murdered down the street were NOT just coincidences_, my subconscious shouted at me. I grimaced to myself, knowing it was true. They were NOT just coincidences. They made me suspicious to the point that I was really starting to believe that it had been Edward who killed four of our classmates and tried to murder two more. I looked up from my desk to see everybody in the class stand up and rush to the window. I stood up slowly wanting to see what was going on, but the moment I saw I instantly regretted it. I looked down from his disarray of bronze hair to his hands clasped behind his back in handcuffs. My eyes quickly traveled to his face, needing to look into his eyes. His ever-piercing stare caught my gaze and I wasn't able to look away. I saw pain, anger, and fear in his eyes and at that moment I didn't know what to believe. Would a murderer have such emotion in their eyes? Before I was able to keep questioning myself, Angela's wretched voice broke the silence.

"I hope that fucker is burned at the stake for what he did to Jessica and Mike. I always knew something like this would happen after his white trashed mom dropped him off on the doctor's doorstep."

Tyler chimed in, "I wonder who gave him up." He looked around the room, scoping out to see who the guilty person was.

"It was me. I know he did it; who else could've done it?" Angela remarked. My body reacted to her comment before my brain could even process it. I walked across the room and slugged her ugly face right in the jaw.

"Do you realize what you've done?" I shouted in a voice even I didn't recognize. I don't remember ever getting as angry as I was in that moment. It was as if it didn't matter if he was the actual perpetrator and I was almost his latest victim. The need for revenge was overwhelming, clogging my every thought until only one thing was on my mind: Make Angela pay.

She barely even put up a fight. I kept punching her and kicking her until the teacher grabbed me, dragging me off her body.

"You fucking freak!" she shouted at me. "You guys are probably in it together. You're both fucking worthless human beings who have only brought shame, uncleanliness, and murder to this town."

"How the fuck do we know you didn't do it?" I spat back at her, struggling against the teacher's arms.

"Why the fuck would I kill my best friend?"

"There's always some stupid bullshit reason to kill your best friend," I snapped as principal Greene entered the room, making two of the office clerks take us to his office.

"Now girls," Principal Greene started in his casual tone."What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem Principal Greene," Angela sneered, "is white trash crap like Edward and Bella have infiltrated our peaceful mountain town and brought with them crime and tragedy."

"Now Angela, we don't know for a fact that Edward was even involved in the murders. Obviously Bella is not involved; why would she lie about it?"

"For attention; the girl has some serious issues. Think about it, her parents' death leaves her disturbed and hostile in a cruel and inhumane world. She's completely suicidal. One day she snaps. She wants to kill herself but she realizes out that teen suicide is out this year and homicide is a much healthier, therapeutic expression. "

Principal Greene stood up from his chair. "That's enough Ms. Weber," he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie before he went further, "I'm going to be lenient with the two of you and let you off with a warning. If I hear of any other shenanigans from the two of you, I'll suspend the both of you, you hear?" We both nodded and made our way towards the door.

Angela glared at me as she quickly passed by. I decided I didn't want to go back to class, so I hopped into my car and texted Alice to come out. Twenty minutes later, she slowly opened my passenger door and climbed in.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," she muttered as I turned the engine on. We drove for a while until we ended up at our secret spot, a sliver of land we claimed freshman year where we'd go when we were feeling shitty. It had direct access to the lake, so it made it that much more appealing. We went and sat on the small cliff over the water, swinging our legs out like little children. Alice smirked for the first time that day before she started asking me about my fight with Angela. Her eyes lightened up slightly when I was describing everything that had happened.

"Did you hear about Edward?" Alice slowly nodded, a sad smile etched on her face.

"We know he didn't do it. I mean, it's Edward. He's sweet and kind; he could never hurt anybody like that," I was quiet for a minute. Did I still feel that way? My conscious mind was telling me that he was innocent; I knew Edward, I was in love with Edward, and he wouldn't ever harm anyone like that. However, my subconscious thought otherwise. My phone's ring tone broke my thought process as I scrambled to get it out of my purse.

"Unknown?" I glanced up from my phone to look at Alice who only provided a shrug. "Hello?" The only answer I received was heavy breathing. My heart started thumping in my chest, my fear escalating fast; we were in the middle of nowhere, with no hope of anyone being able to hear us. Alice was able to sense the fear and stood up quickly. "Who the fuck is this?" I screamed into the phone, assuming I wouldn't get an answer.

"I can see you," the voice whispered. I didn't recognize the voice, but knew they could be using some sort of electrical device to make it that way.

Alice grabbed the phone, screaming, "WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?" into the receiver. They hung up, leaving a tense feeling in the air. Alice and I looked at each other and ran towards my car, getting the fuck out of there. I looked over as I was speeding down the narrow road, tears were streaming down Alice's face.

"Alice, it's going to be ok." I grabbed her hand and held it, calming down her quiet sobs. As I pulled up to her house, she looked at me questioningly.

"Are you going to come in?" I told her I needed to get a few things at home, but I'd come over after that. She hesitated but waved me off. To be honest, I didn't really want to go back to my house alone, but she was so shaken up that I didn't want to upset her any further. I walked to my front door, my breath trembling as I reached for the doorknob. It was unlocked, heightening my fears. I quickly walked into my bedroom, throwing everything I'd need for the next week and a half into a suitcase. Just as I was finishing up my cellphone rang again. I slowly walked over to it, looking at the caller id. 'Unknown' flashed again, causing my stomach to churn. I hit the answer button and put it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Babes, all alone in that big house? Don't worry, company's coming," the voice said. It quickly hung up, causing me to throw my phone away from me. As I zipped up my suitcase I heard the sound of the front door opening. I put my hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. I grabbed my keys quietly and walked towards my window. I could hear the footsteps of someone entering my house, walking on the tile towards the kitchen. I quickly opened my window and jumped out, grateful that I was on the first story. I ran towards my car and started it up, peeling out of the driveway and down the road. Halfway down the road I noticed a car behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I realized whose car that was: my Dad's. I pushed my car as hard as I could, wishing the highway to be closer. The car crept closer and closer until it was almost on my bumper. I looked in my rear view mirror but only saw the person in the blue hoodie I had seen the night before. They revved their engine suddenly, slamming into the back of my car. I swerved slightly, trying to keep my car on the very narrow road. They seemed to slow down, only to rev the engine again and slam into me twice as hard. My car swerved again, almost slamming me into a tree. Finally, the signs for the highway appeared as I high-tailed it towards the on ramp. The car slowed down to almost a stop, turned around, and headed back towards my house.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Rules to live by in a horror movie, brought to you by the ingenious Randy Meeks:**

**Rule number #1: You can never have sex. (In most horror films this is true. Sidney, on the other hand, totally boned Billy and she's going to be the lead in Scream 4, so some rules are made to be broken.)**

**Rule number #2: You can never drink or do drugs.**

**Rule number #3: Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, say "I'll be right back." Because you won't be back.**

**Keep these rules in mind when you're reading this story!**

**Thank you to all of my readers, reviewers, and my beta tellingmelies who deals with my inability to remember where to put a period and where to put a comma when it comes to dialogue, and my abusing of "I" to start a sentence. **

**BPOV**

"_...I want your love and I want your revenge; you and me could write a bad romance..."_

The moment I got onto the long stretch of highway I pulled off, hyperventilating not helping my driving. I put some relaxing music on which eventually calmed me down enough to continue driving. As I started towards Alice's I couldn't help but think what the person was doing at my house at the moment. Was he still at there? Was he touching my things? My heart started pounding again just thinking about it. I finally made it to Alice's house to see that her cousin Emmett was there. I sighed in relief; not only was he absolutely hilarious, he was huge and could probably protect us from anything. The front door swung open as my fist was beginning to knock and Emmett's large arms wrapped around me, embracing me tightly. When he finally relented he looked down at my face, causing his large smile to fade.

"What happened?" Not wanting to worry him I simply shrugged. I looked up as I heard Alice's tiny footsteps bounding down the stairs, a small smile playing on her face.

"Guess what Bells? Edward was released! Principal Greene called the police station and told them Angela had no evidence to back up her story so they let him go!"

_Oh no._

A deep hollow feeling of dread spread through my body, my limbs slowly becoming like lead. My lungs felt like they were collapsing under the pressure, making it incredibly hard to breathe. I stared at her in horror as she told me what was supposed to be good news. "What's wrong with you?" she questioned, her face losing its glow as Emmett's had.

"I- uh...I have to tell you something." As I told them the story, Emmett's hands twisted around the newspaper that had been on the coffee table, ripping it slightly. Alice's demeanor slipped back to its earlier somber.

"Are you sure it was your dad's car?"

"I know my dad's car Alice, and the car that was following me definitely was it. The driver was also the same guy at the window in my house - the same guy that tried to attack us." Alice gulped loudly and stood up, walking towards her kitchen. She came back with her cell phone and held it out to me.

"Uh...what's this for?"

She gave me a soft look. "Call Edward." I shook my head severely. With so much evidence piling up against him it was hard to believe he wasn't what I had feared all along. Unfortunately, Alice just shoved the phone into my hand and pressed send, the ring from the other end bringing a silence to the room.

"Alice?" Edward answered, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Uh no, it's Bella. I'm at Alice's house."

"Oh. Um, hi. What's up?"

I bit my lip, trying to think of something to say. "Uh, so, are you ok?"

He sighed loudly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't know why they'd think it was me."

"It was Angela; she thought that just because you weren't born with money you must be a murderer."

"Fucking whore; I should go over to her house right now..." the sentence alone sent chills down my spine. Would he seek revenge? Had I just given Angela a death sentence?

"Well, I beat her up for you, so she got what she deserved."

He chuckled slightly, the sound warming up my heart, "You beat her up? For me?" I blushed and nodded, forgetting he couldn't see me.

"Well, yeah. It was fucked up what she did." He sighed again, but more contently. He started to stutter, a strange wave of tension hitting me.

"What?"

"Well, uh, Bells...I was wondering if you – and I know it's a bad time to ask and you can totally say no – but, well, did you maybe want to go to a movie sometime?"

I was silent for a second. Was he asking me out on a date? Should I say yes? I wanted to say yes, but I didn't want to end up like Jada Pinkett in Scream 2, wailing up in front of the movie screen after having been stabbed several times while everybody cheered at my stunt.

"It's ok Bells, we can, you know, go another time."

"No!" I shouted loudly into the phone. "No, we can go to the movies."

He laughed lightly at my outburst. We made the rest of the arrangements before we hung up. Alice and Emmett looked at me like I had grown a second head. After my phone conversation, Alice grabbed my arms and shook me, her high pitched screaming lightly echoing off the high ceilings.

"Are you fucking insane Bella? Did you not just tell Emmett and I that you're almost sure that Edward's the killer? Now you're going on a date with said serial killer?" I simply shrugged, causing Emmett to groan.

"Do you always have to have a death wish, Bells?"

They both just shook their heads and left me in the living room. I looked around the empty space, trying to justify to myself what I had just agreed to. I _had_ liked Edward for years, practically worshiped the ground he walked on, and now that he liked me I couldn't see a reason to say no to him, no matter how much I thought that he might be the murderer. I had no solid proof, and if the police couldn't find any evidence, he must be innocent. Also, I would be able to question him tonight, ask him everything that had been plaguing my mind since the first night he surprised me at my front door.

I stood up from the couch, walked to Alice's room and leaned against the doorframe. "Alice, I know you think this is a stupid idea, but you know me. I'm dumb, reckless, and completely in love with this boy. He could be Hitler and I still would've accepted."

She sighed and turned towards me. "I know Bells. I just wish that you'd take more precaution, and not just with this. I should have gone with you to your house. I knew it was stupid to let you go alone, but I did it anyway. I didn't think he'd risk coming at you in the daylight. Obviously I was wrong and it could have cost me my best friend. Now I'm letting you go out on a date with the person you feel is a murderer. I'm a horrible friend; I should be protecting you from all of this." I wrapped my arms around Alice and just hugged her for a while. I could hear her softly crying, so I turned her so we were face to face.

"Alice, you know I love you. I know you want to protect me, but you can't always protect me from myself. I know I always seem to get myself into horrible situations, but doing this just seems right. It's Edward. We've both known him for almost 2 years, and I've never felt he was anything but amazing. Everything I'm feeling about the murders could be completely circumstantial. I could just be looking into this too much. I promise to be safe, and I promise to call if anything, and I mean _anything_, is off to me, alright?" She nodded her head and wiped her tears away. I smiled. "Now I need to get dressed, and I know a certain someone who would love to dress me in her finest clothes..." Alice squirmed out of my hug and jumped out of the bed. The radiance in her eyes told me she was done being worried for the moment.

The doorbell rang as seven o'clock struck on the large grandfather clock in the living room. The moment I heard it every muscle in my body tensed in nervousness and fear. I started highly doubting myself, Alice's words coming back to me. _I'm going out on a date with a murderer!_ I thought to myself as I slowly made my way to the door. I cautiously opened it, as if he'd attack me if I moved too quickly. I hesitantly took my gaze off the hardwood floor, and the moment I did all feeling of doubt left my mind.

He was dressed in a black buttoned down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and fitted black slacks, his signature grin plastered on his face. He was leaned against the railing that went around the porch, his hair slightly dancing in the cool breeze. He was breathtaking, and I knew at that moment I had made the right decision.

"You look gorgeous." He took two steps towards me, shoving his hands into his pockets.

My cheeks flushed a bright crimson color as I whispered, "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself."

He chuckled lightly as he extended his hand. "Are you ready to go?" I nodded, slipping past the threshold and closing the door behind me. As I was turning back around I felt a warm hand grasp my own. I looked at him questioningly, but was only answered with a sheepish grin. He led us to his car, opening my door for me. I smiled lightly and sat down. I could feel the heated seat through my jersey dress, the warmth feeling nice on my legs. He got in the car quickly, flashing me a quick smile before starting it.

"So, where are we going?" I finally asked, trying to break the silence permeating as we drove the long, dark road towards the highway.

"Um, well, I know you love Italian food, so I thought we'd go to Amatore. It's a little ways away, but it has the most amazing Italian food you'll ever have. Also, the theater there is showing a screening of Scream tonight, so I thought we'd see that afterward. Seemed fitting with all that's going on."

"Sounds wonderful Edward." I gave him a small smile as he turned to look at me. After a few moments of quiet we started randomly chit-chatting for the rest of the drive.

My legs were slightly cramping by the time we reached the restaurant. Once again, he opened my car door for me, presenting his hand to help me out of my seat. The moment we walked into the restaurant, it felt as though we left California and walked into Italy. The hostess sauntered towards us, eying Edward seductively. Not wanting her to get the wrong impression, I slid my hand back into his, cuddling close to his side. I looked up to see his eyes staring at me, the heat in them so intense my knees weakened.

"Follow me," the hostess greeted agitatedly. She led us to the main dining room, to the most centered table in the restaurant. Edward mumbled something quietly to her before reaching his hand out to hers, slipping what looked like money into her palm. She perked up immediately, gesturing us towards the back of the restaurant which seemed completely vacant of customers. Edward smiled thankfully as she nodded and left us to ourselves.

"Is this ok?" I nodded and reached for my menu. There were so many delicious choices that I didn't even know where to begin.

"The Tortellini alla Panna sounds delicious."

He smirked suddenly, leaning over the table towards me. "Have you ever heard the legend behind the creation of Tortellini?" I shook my head, shocked he would know so much about Italian cuisine. "Well, they say one night Lucrezia Borgia checked into an inn in a small town, and the host became so captivated by her beauty he felt compelled to look through the keyhole on her door to take a peek. The room was dimly lit, and all that was visible to his eye was her navel. Such a small, insignificant part of her body held such beauty that it inspired him to create pasta in its likeness."

I shook my head slightly. "How do you know this?"

"Well, I love food, and I want to be a food critic later in life. I find it fascinating to learn about foods from all over the world." I sat there, staring at him in awe, for what seemed like minutes. I'd never heard such simplistic words being spoken with such passion. Though the coincidences were stacked against him, the moment he opened his beautiful mouth I just couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that he was the good guy. Why would someone with such ambition ruin his chances at his dreams by murdering people? While questioning myself, I was brought back to reality by a tap on the shoulder.

"Bella, are you ok?"

I nodded quickly. "Oh yeah, I was just thinking."

"What about?" He looked at me questioningly.

Trying to cover up what I had really been thinking about, I brought it back to what he had been talking about. "Oh, just the future."

"What do you want to do with your future?"

"In all honesty, I don't really know."

He laughed lightly. "I don't think you of all people really _need_ to do anything; your parents left you with enough money to last you a lifetime."

I nodded. "I guess that's true. I don't know, I haven't ever really been passionate about anything before. I'm not stupid, I know that, I just don't feel attached to a certain subject so much that I want to base my life around it. I'll probably just go to college and end up working in an office."

"It's a pity."

My eyes shot straight towards his, once again being locked in their stare. I shook my head, trying to shake off his spell over me. "What do you mean a pity?"

"I mean, it's a pity that someone as beautiful and intelligent as you is content with a future of wasting her life in an office building when she could be out living."

"Not all of us can be ambitious like you; some of us are just simple lemmings following in single file lines to our doom."

His dazzling smile spread across his face. "Bella, you are anything but simple. You're one of the most interestingly complex people I've ever met."

The rest of the dinner went well, I ordered my Tortellini while Edward ordered the Tagliatelle al Sugo di Funghi. The movie didn't start until midnight and since we had finished dinner fairly early, we decided to walk around the small, European styled town. We seemed to talk about everything, from his childhood memories to my many scars and bruises. Though, the more I told him about myself the more a small part of my subconscious told me that this all was a bad idea and I'd end up paying for it in the end.

Edward checked his watch and looked up in panic. "Holy crap it's 11:50!" We walked briskly to the theater, laughing breathlessly along the way. Luckily, we were one of the only people that came to see the show. A benefit of living in a small town surrounded by other small towns. As soon as we opened the doors Tyler's loud, boisterous laugh echoed throughout the room, followed by hoots and hollers from different members of the football team. We waved as we passed them, and took our seats in the middle of the theater.

Edward lifted the armrest that was between us as we sat down. It felt as though my body was on fire as he scooted closer to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. Not even my favorite scary movie of all time could keep my attention as Edward sat next to me.

By the end of the movie, I was convinced that my subconscious was wrong. He was sweet, kind, considerate, and he cared for me. So when he told me his dad was out of town, and asked me if I wanted to come over for some coffee, I accepted.

The drive home was much different than our ride up. Our conversation was deep and personal, lacking the nervous chatter the beginning of the evening had been filled with. When we pulled up to his house, he turned the key off and just sat in the car a minute.

"So, this is it." He suddenly got out of the car and opened my door, helping me out of the seat once again. We held hands as we walked rather quickly to his front door. His hands struggled to get the correct key in the lock to open the door, causing him to laugh nervously. He seemed frazzled and nervous, which made me increasingly hopeful.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No!" he shouted. "No, just...I've never had a girl over before."

"Really? You've never brought home a girl?"

He shook his head while slightly chuckling. "Nope, I-I've never had a girl to bring home, really." He finally got the door unlocked, pushing it wide open with his foot. It wasn't two seconds after he closed and locked it behind us that his lips were on mine, urgent and wanting. I was just as urgent, parting my lips, running my tongue over his bottom lip. His responding groan caused a wave of pleasure to crash over me, causing me to lightly groan as well. Lifting me to wrap my legs around his waist, he clumsily made his way up the stairs to what I assumed was his bedroom.

So much for coffee.

**A/N: So…how'd you like their date? Let me know! Also, keep the theories coming with who you think the murderer is!**

**I will be getting the 6****th**** chapter up in the next week or two just so I have it up before I go MIA for the rest of June. I'm getting married on June 19****th**** and I'll be in Italy until July, so the 7****th**** chapter will be up the beginning of July. I plan on writing it (and probably the 8****th****!) during the 30 hours I'll be on the plane unable to sleep while my new hubby snores and snuggles up against the wall of the plane.**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, so, SO very sorry that I didn't get this out when I said I would! I didn't realize that the week before my wedding would be so stressful, and the moment I got back from my honeymoon I lost my glasses. I hope you all like this update, and thank you all for your reviews!**

"_Keep running before this home becomes your casket and you're buried six feet beneath the ground."_

The sunlight leaked in through the blinds the next morning, waking me up from my wonderful dream. I dreamt that I had gone on a date with Edward, and that he brought me back to his house. His dad was working a swing shift at the hospital, so we had the house to ourselves. In the dream he wanted to kiss me desperately, and I had given him what he wanted.

I smiled widely as I slowly slid my eyes open, only to be shocked with what my eyes saw.

_Where am I?_

I wasn't in my room, and I wasn't in Alice's. Without moving my head, I searched for clues as to where I was. My eyes caught on a shirt hanging off the back of a chair that was extremely familiar. It was one of Edward's favorite shirts. It was also the shirt he was wearing in my dream. I slowly looked in the opposite direction to be met, once again, with Edward's sleeping face mere inches from mine. My mind started working overtime, trying to comprehend what was happening. I wasn't given much time to think as Edward's eyes slowly opened, his signature crooked smile plastered on his face.

"Hey you." _Hey you? Is that _all_ you have to say at a time like this!_

I said the only thing I could think of, "Hi." I felt the bed move as he slowly came towards me, wrapping me up in his arms. His lips ghosted across my forehead, leaning down to kiss each cheek before he quickly took hold of my lips with his own. I immediately tensed, a flood of thoughts circling around Edward and the murders practically knocking the air out of my lungs. He sensed my stiff body and pulled back.

"What's wrong, Bells?"

"I, uh, um, well, I-…" I stuttered through the words my brain was trying to voice. "I…I need to pee." A chuckle left his mouth as he nodded his head, his hand pointing towards the open door. I rushed out of the bed and into the private sanctuary of the bathroom. I stared at the large mirror against the wall, gripping my hands on the counter top below. My lips were still swollen from the late night kisses and my hair looked like a nest from being wrapped around and pulled by large hands. I splashed water on my face, trying to get the haze of doubt to wash away. After looking into the mirror for what felt like an hour, I went on a search for a towel to dry off my face. I looked to my right to see his closet door was opened just a crack. I looked all over the bathroom for a towel with no luck. Peering back at the ajar door, I slowly made my way to the closet to see if he happened to have his towels in there. Pushing the door open slightly, I felt the wall for a light switch and flicked it on. The dimly lit light bulb barely illuminated the room, which I thought was odd. I started looking around the small area, and what I saw made my blood run cold and my breath stop.

A very familiar blue hoodie.

My hand shot up to my mouth instantly, trying to stop myself from screaming.

"Bella? Are you ok in there?" His voice slightly muffled by the bathroom door caused me to panic. _How was I going to get out of here? What was I supposed to do?_

"I- I- I'll be out in a second." I quickly turned off the dim light and closed the door behind me, leaving it slightly ajar. I looked around the bathroom for a second entrance, but was only given the option of leaving through the door I entered. We were on the second floor, so I couldn't jump out the window. Realizing the only way I was going to get out was the front door, I quickly put on my most convincing calm mask and walked back into the bedroom.

Edward's hair was more disheveled than it usually was, sticking up in every direction. His sleepy lopsided grin would usually make me melt into a puddle of Bella, but the thundering beats of my heart kept me upright. He reached out for my hand and I grasped it hesitantly. I didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary, but I remembered something that would also hinder my abilities to escape: he had driven us here. I'd been here a couple times before, but only in a car. I had no idea how to navigate the wilderness that surrounded his house. Complying with him I walked towards the bed, cuddling with him for a few moments.

Making up an excuse that I needed to clean up my house for the party tonight, he begrudgingly got up and drove me back to Alice's house. My mask held up until I made it in her front door and was greeted by a very angry pixie.

"Where the _fuck_ have you been? I have been worried sick all night long! I was thinking I had made a mistake by letting you go out with Edward, knowing that he might be a fucking murderer - what's wrong?" I sank to the ground as I let the sobs rack my body. How had I even thought for a second he was innocent? The evidence had pointed towards him the entire time, but my stupid infatuation with him caused me to be blind to everything that was right in front of me.

He was trying to make me trust him. He was trying to prove so hard that he wasn't some fucking psychopath to me just so he could attack me at my most vulnerable moment. He had killed two of my friends and tried to butcher my best friend and I as well. The more I thought about it, the harder I cried. I could vaguely hear Alice trying to snap me out of it, but it felt as though her voice was muddled by the thickness of the water that was trapping me under its weight.

I broke the surface to speak one sentence. "He is the murderer."

Alice blinked at me rapidly, shaking her head lightly as if her disagreement would make it untrue. "You can't be serious. He…he's just so…so not what I would expect of serial killer." I wanted to tell her that most serial killers appear completely normal to everyone around them. Look at Stu Macher; nobody, even for a second, thought he was involved. He was the comic relief along with Randy, the pair of them playing off each other in every scene they had together. I wanted to tell her how I knew he was the same guy who pulled a knife out of his blue hoodie outside my back window, threatening me with its menacing blade. The same person who decided his weapon of choice was the same weapon used on my parents, and sliced up two of my friends in the same manner they were butchered.

I wanted to tell her everything, but I couldn't breathe. The world was staring to haze as my oxygen level dropped, my vision slowly turning to darkness. The last thing I remember was Alice's warped voice screaming from Emmett.

~oOo~

"I don't know what to do Em, she sounded completely clear when she told me. She was sobbing and crying, but broke for only a second to tell me, looking me dead in the eye." Emmett's face scrunched up slightly in frustration. He looked back at me, his face calming as he realized I was awake again.

"How long was I out?" My throat felt scratchy as I spoke, most likely do to my crying fit earlier.

"Not very long, actually," Alice stated.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise came from my purse. I reached for my phone and saw that Tyler had texted messaged me. Intrigued, I opened it up.

**Can't wait 4 the party bella-ella!**

_Crap._ "Shit, I forgot about the party."

"Yeah, Emmett and I were talking about that. I know we told everybody that there was going to be a party at your house tonight, but do you really think that'd be a good idea? I mean, if you really think that Edward did it, he probably will show up tonight. What if that was his plan all along? What if your aunt isn't actually gone? What if Kate and Garrett are locked up in your house somewhere, or worse, dead somewhere?"

"Alice!" Emmett shouted. "What the hell is your problem? Stop filling her head with more _Scream_ nonsense."

"What?" Alice questioned innocently.

"You're right," I whispered. "What if Kate and Garrett were locked up in his house somewhere, and he was moving them to my house when he caught me there packing to stay here. What if he is as obsessed with Scream as I am and is doing it justice by following the advice of Billy and Stu?"

"Good lord, would you listen to yourselves?" Emmett looked like he was ashamed to be in the same room as us. "Your craziness might be helpful if this was a movie, but guys, this is _not_ a movie."

"Yes it is, Emmett," Alice said, fear seeping into her words. "It's all one big movie. We're living through one long ass horror flick. I don't know why, but I have a strange feeling that Bella's parents' murder is involved in this."

I looked up at her with what I assume an extremely shocked expression. "Why?" I blurted out, loudly.

"I dunno, I just feel like it is." Alice shrugged sadly. "So, do you still want to throw this party? I'm sure everybody will totally understand if you don't."

I started to think about all the things that go wrong at parties in horror movies. People break things. People have sex in your bed. People are murdered. It's usually the climax of the film, and the setting that most people eat it. _This _wasn't a movie though, as much as Alice feels it is. This was reality. Reality doesn't hold to the structure of movies. Anything is possible in reality.

"I'm going to throw this party," I said with a sense of determination. I was going to prove to everyone that this was reality, and we had control over it.

"Well, if we're having this party, we're going to the cops about Edward." Emmett grabbed his keys and looked at us expectantly. A tiny part of me screamed in my head that I was making a mistake, and even though Edward had the hoodie and all the evidence pointed toward him, he wasn't the killer.

I pushed that part of me back. I was tired of listening to her. She was lovesick and had no sense of self-preservation. I pushed myself up from my slouched position on the floor and stood by Emmett. Alice, though, didn't look as confident as we felt. The look on her face was the same look I had every other time someone accused Edward of being a psychopath.

"Are you _sure_ it was the same hoodie, Bella? Are you absolutely _positive_ that he did it?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'm not absolutely positive. I just know what I know, and it scares me. I don't want to take any chances. What if he _is_ the murderer and we don't say anything? What if that gets one of our friends, or hell, one of _us_ killed? Do you want to live with that guilt, knowing that you could've done something to protect them?"

She shrugged sadly once again. "I guess you're right." She slowly followed Emmett and I to his car, and we drove to the police station.

~oOo~

The car was quiet as we approached the building. Due to Paradiso Heights being a small mountain town, the police station didn't look like anything more than a large log cabin. We walked up the stairs to the front desk.

"How can I help you?" The lady at the front desk questioned. "Emmett! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Inga, I was wondering if my dad was here yet?" She nodded and pointed toward the back. We walked slowly toward his dad's office. His dad peered up at us through his bushy eyebrows, quirking up his left one.

"Hi kids," He greeted us gruffly.

"Hi Uncle Harry, can we talk to you about something important? Perhaps in private?" Alice pointed toward the door, tilting her head slightly. He nodded and she closed and locked the door. We sat there in silence for what felt like an hour.

"…Well?"

Emmett and Alice looked at me, urging me with their eyes to speak up.

I cleared my throat, the sound echoing loudly. My cheeks painted themselves a light pink in embarrassment, but I shook my head and looked Mr. McCarthy in the eye. "Edward is the killer you're looking for." A look of shock was blatantly plastered on his face, so I continued on. "While I don't know his whereabouts on the night Leah Clearwater and Lauren Malloy were killed, I do know that he came over to my house at 10PM the night Jessica Stanley and Michael Newton were killed. As you may know, I live right down the street from Jessica Stanley's house, where the two were murdered. As you may also know, Jessica and Michael were seen as enemies to Edward, constantly picking on him about his upbringings before he came to Paradiso Heights. Also, I remember that the person who tried to attack Alice and I was wearing a blue hoodie. I found the same blue hoodie in Edward's closet this morning."

Chief McCarthy rubbed his chin, looking at me skeptically. His eyes went from me to Alice to Emmett in rapid succession before shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry Bella, but I don't think that's enough to book him. All of the evidence you provided me could be coincidental."

"Billy Loomis had a freaking cell phone, and THAT was enough to book him for the night!" Alice practically screamed. I looked at her with bugged eyes, not believing she'd actually used a horror movie as reason to book Edward.

"Alice, sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but police work doesn't usually work the same way in reality as it does in the movies. We have to have hard evidence before we actually bring someone in."

"Like Angela Weber's 'eye witness' evidence?" I questioned. He looked at me, his glare making my knees quiver.

"That was an error in judgment, made by a rookie. He should've never been brought in based on what Angela had to say. I looked over her statement and it was total horsecrap. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to work."

Emmett reached out for him. "But dad…"

"But dad what? You come in here, expecting me to book some kid over what this young lady has to say? Do you KNOW what happened last time we did that? Edward's father was furious that we'd brought his son in on Angela's word. He won't be so forgiving if we bring him in on Isabella's word as well."

"Well," Alice tapped her chin with her index finger, "would it be possible to have an officer be at Bella's tonight? We're kind of having a get together, and we'd all feel a lot safer if we had someone of the law there to watch over the party."

"That could probably be arranged." Mr. McCarthy picked up the phone on the table and called for Officer Whitlock to come into his office. A quick knock reverberated through the room. Alice walked over to unlock and open the door and a very young looking guy in a police uniform entered. He didn't look over the age of 20, and _I_ wasn't even intimidated by him.

"Him?" It seems Alice read my mind. "He's like, 12. Well, except in that…upper torso area. Does the force require you to work out?" Alice looked at me and wiggled her eyebrows. _Good lord._

"No, ma'am," Officer Whitlock spoke softly, with a slight southern drawl. "'Cause of my boyish good looks, muscle mass has increased my acceptance as a serious police officer." He winked at her and the look on Alice's face turned to pure adoration for the officer she'd met literally a minute ago.

"Whitlock, would you be able to accompany Emmett, Alice, who, by the way, is my _17 year old niece_, and her best friend Isabella to Isabella's house? They're having some sort of shindig and I don't want any funny business happening."

"Yes, sir." Officer Whitlock stiffly nodded at Chief McCarthy. We all said our goodbyes and made it back out to Emmett's car.

"So, Officer Whitlock," Alice looked up at him through her long eyelashes, batting them like a crazy person, "how long have you worked for the Paradiso Heights Police Department?"

"I actually just started a little over three months ago. I just moved here from southern Louisiana with my family." He leaned a little closer to Alice's face, causing her to hyperventilate slightly. "Oh, and you can call me Jasper, lil' darlin'."


End file.
